Personalized auto-reply messages based on categories
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-usable storage medium storing an e-mail client program that allows a user to set customized auto-reply messages, the program comprising:
- a first interface element that allows a user to organize contacts into categories;
a second interface element that allows the user to set a category auto-reply message for a category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set;
a third interface element that allows the user to select a contact in the category;
a fourth interface element that allows the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact, wherein the personal auto-reply message is sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact, and the category auto-reply is additionally sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact; and
a fifth interface element that allows the user to set a global auto-reply reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interface is provided to the user of an e-mail client program. The interface allows the user to organize his or her contacts into categories and may display representations of the user'"'"'s e-mail contacts in a manner that indicates to which category the contacts belong. The user may use the interface to set customized auto-reply messages on a per-category basis, or otherwise.
116 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A computer-usable storage medium storing an e-mail client program that allows a user to set customized auto-reply messages, the program comprising:
-
a first interface element that allows a user to organize contacts into categories; a second interface element that allows the user to set a category auto-reply message for a category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set; a third interface element that allows the user to select a contact in the category; a fourth interface element that allows the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact, wherein the personal auto-reply message is sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact, and the category auto-reply is additionally sent to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact; and a fifth interface element that allows the user to set a global auto-reply reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for providing customized auto-reply messages, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
-
receive, from a user, user input to organize one or more contacts into one or more categories; receive, from the user, user input to set a global auto-reply message; receive, from the user, user input to set a category auto-reply message for at least one category included in the one or more categories; receive, from the user, user input to set a personal auto-reply message for at least one contact included in the one or more contacts, the at least one contact being organized in the at least one category; and in response to receiving an e-mail from the at least one contact, process the set auto-reply messages for the at least one contact by;
sending the personal auto-reply message,the category auto-reply message, and the global auto-reply message to the at least one contact. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for providing customized auto-reply messages, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
-
permit a user to organize contacts into categories; permit the user to select a category; permit the user to set a category auto-reply message for the selected category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the selected category when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category; permit the user to select a contact that is organized into the selected category; and permit the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact, wherein the personal auto-reply message is sent to the selected contact, in addition to the category auto-reply message, when an e-mail is received from the selected contact, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for causing a computer to permit the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which no category auto-reply message has been set and for which no personal auto-reply message has been set. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for providing customized auto-reply messages, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
-
permit a user to organize contacts into categories; permit the user to select a category; permit the user to set a category auto-reply message for the selected category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the selected category when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category; permit the user to select a contact that is organized into the selected category; and permit the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact, wherein the personal auto-reply message is sent to the selected contact, in addition to the category auto-reply message, when an e-mail is received from the selected contact, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for causing a computer to permit the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A method for providing customized auto-reply messages, the method comprising:
-
permitting a user to organize contacts into categories; permitting the user to select a category; permitting the user to set a category auto-reply message for the selected category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the selected category when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category; permitting the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set; and sending the set category auto-reply message in addition to the global auto-reply message when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
-
16. A computer-usable storage medium storing an e-mail client program that allows a user to set customized auto-reply messages, the program comprising:
-
a first interface element that allows a user to organize contacts into categories; a second interface element that allows the user to set a category auto-reply message for a category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set; and a third interface element that allows the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set, and the global auto-reply message is additionally sent when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the category for which the category auto-reply message is set.
-
-
17. A computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for providing customized auto-reply messages, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
-
permit a user to organize contacts into categories; permit the user to select a category; permit the user to set a category auto-reply message for the selected category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the selected category when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category; and permit the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which a category auto-reply message has not been set, and the category auto-reply message is appended as an additional message on to the global auto-reply message when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category.
-
-
18. A method for providing customized auto-reply messages, the method comprising:
-
receiving, from a user, user input to organize one or more contacts into one or more categories; receiving, from the user, user input to set a global auto-reply message; receiving, from the user, user input to set a category auto-reply message for at least one category included in the one or more categories; receiving, from the user, user input to set a personal auto-reply message for at least one contact included in the one or more contacts, the at least one contact being organized in the at least one category; and in response to receiving an e-mail from the at least one contact, processing the set auto-reply messages for the at least one contact by;
sending the personal auto-reply message. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method for providing customized auto-reply messages, the method comprising:
-
permitting a user to organize contacts into categories; permitting the user to select a category; permitting the user to set a category auto-reply message for the selected category, wherein the set category auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into the selected category when an e-mail is received from the contacts that are organized into the selected category; permitting the user to select a contact that is organized into the selected category; permitting the user to set a personal auto-reply message for the selected contact; sending the personal auto-reply message, in addition to the category auto-reply message, to the selected contact when an e-mail is received from the selected contact; and permitting the user to set a global auto-reply message, wherein the global auto-reply message is sent to contacts that are organized into categories for which no category auto-reply message has been set and for which no Personal auto-reply message has been set. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
-
Specification